ABSTRACT
Jamie is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her mother and 7-year-old brother. Jamie’s mother and father were never married and never lived together. Jamie sees her father regularly as he stops by their apartment to visit frequently. Her father is 39 years old, and works as a construction laborer. He has been in jail on two occasions, for assault and battery, and he has a history of alcoholism. Her mother is 38 years of age and has not worked for more than a year. She has worked in housekeeping at local hospitals in the past. She spent time in jail before Jamie was born for retail fraud. She denies any substance abuse problems. She describes the family financial situation as “poor.”
